By Amellia Fowler

UW–Madison’s Megan Schliesman, librarian and assistant director emerita of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) in the School of Education, will be honored with the South Central Library System (SCLS) Foundation’s Cornerstone Award. 

The Cornerstone Award is presented annually by the SCLS Foundation to an individual who has had a significant and long-term impact on enhancing public libraries in South Central Wisconsin and who represents the foundation’s values and mission.

“Anyone who knows anything at all about Megan’s career knows that she more than exemplifies these qualifications,” noted the SCLS Foundation Board of Directors in an invitation to the 2026 Cornerstone Event.

Schliesman joined the CCBC in 1993 and dedicated more than three decades to advancing children’s and young adult literature, promoting intellectual freedom, and serving the library community before her retirement in 2025. 

During her tenure, she held a number of leadership roles, including assistant director of the CCBC and manager of the center’s Intellectual Freedom Information Services. 

Schliesman co-authored the annual CCBC Choices publication, the CCBC’s widely-respected best-of-the-year list for children and teens, throughout her career. 

She also co-authored “Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults” with Kathleen T. Horning and Ginny Moore and wrote the “What IF… Questions and Answers on Intellectual Freedom” forum. 

Nationally recognized as a speaker and leader, Schliesman’s impact extended beyond the borders of Wisconsin. She was an active member of the American Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children throughout her career and served in numerous leadership roles, including co-chair of the 2022 ALSC Morris Seminar, chair of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award Committee, and member of the 2005 Newbery Award Committee.

Shliesman will receive the award at the SCLS Foundation’s 2026 Cornerstone Event on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Goodman Community Center in Madison. 

Learn more about Schliesman’s distinguished career at the CCBC and her impact on libraries nationally.